English dictionary, thesaurus, translations & etymology

Etymology — The origins of English words

Where do words come from? Trace the origin and history of any English word, from its Latin, Greek or Old English roots through to its modern meaning. Every etymology is sourced.

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Named after the city of Kristiania, the former name of Oslo, Norway, where the turn is said to have originated.

Ottoman Turkish

From Ottoman Turkish balkan, meaning "wooded, craggy mountain range," which gave its name to the mountain range and later the wider region.

From Ancient Greek prósthesis, "addition," from prostíthēmi, "to add" — built from prós ("toward") plus títhēmi ("to place.")

From Old French signifier, from Latin significare, from signum ("sign") + facere ("to make").

From critic + -ize.

From Latin percussio, "a striking", from percutere, "to strike through" (per- + quatere, "to shake").

From Latin contrā, meaning "against."

A shortened Scots form of "All Hallows' Even," the evening before All Saints' Day.

The music award's name comes from "gramophone," the old term for a record player.

From Anglo-Norman extorcion, ultimately from Latin extorquēre, "to twist or wrench out" — the same idea as forcibly wringing something from someone.

Borrowed from Mexican Spanish taco, whose ultimate origin is debated.

From Hawaiian nēnē, a word imitating the bird's honking call.

From Italian caffè americano, "American coffee," a name coined because American soldiers in Italy diluted strong espresso with water to taste more like the coffee back home.

From Middle English tilier, built from "till" (to cultivate) plus "-er."

From wind + the suffix -ward, meaning "in the direction of".

From "kick" + "-er," originally meaning simply "one who kicks," later extended figuratively to anything that delivers a surprising jolt to a story.

From Old French savouré, ultimately from Latin sapor, "taste, flavour."

From Old French estaple ("market" or "trading post"), from a Germanic root meaning "post" or "pillar" — the same root that gives us "staff." The fastener sense developed later from the same word for a bent metal post or clasp.

From French cocon, a diminutive of coque, "shell."

From "coco" (Portuguese/Spanish for "grinning face," describing the shell's three eye-like holes) plus "nut."

From "funny" plus the adverb suffix "-ly."

From Old English dom ("judgment") plus dæg ("day") — literally "judgment day."

counterclockwise

From counter- + clockwise.

From Hindustani, ultimately from Arabic sāʔis, "one who tends a horse."